Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – April 28, 2012 – ESPN.
Randall Delgado wasn’t effective, and the Braves were mostly shut down by lefty Eric Bedard and the Pirates’ bullpen. It happens.
The Pirates took the lead in the first on a hit, a groundout, a wild pitch and a sac fly; the Pirates left two on after walks. A two-out double in the second made it 2-0 and a single made it 3-0, and in the third the Pirates left the bases loaded.
The Braves cut it to 3-1 when Dan Uggla singled in Martin Prado in the third, but back-to-back one-out doubles in the fifth put the Pirates up 4-1 and chased Delgado. Livan Hernandez put out the fire and he and Cristhian Martinez combined to shut out the Pirates the rest of the way. However, the Braves only got one more run (off of Chris Resop!), in the sixth, when Jason Heyward doubled leading off, stole third, and came home on a Juan Francisco groundout. Five of the last six Braves of the game struck out.
How in the hell in the Poser still pitching for a major league club?
4.18ERA in 99IP and averaging over 10K/9. He’s actually better than 2 of our RH bullpen arms.
@2 Those stats are over the last 3 years. Sure do miss the edit button.
Chipper and McCann playing! WOOHOO!
Bourn
Prado
Freeman
McCann
Uggla
Chipper
Heyward
Pastornicky
Hudson
I think it says a lot for how the team views Huddy that both of the questionables are in the lineup for his first start of the year.
The problem with Medlen as a starter is that it seriously weakens our bullpen, way more than not having him as a starter weakens our rotation. Martinez has been good, but I’m not sure we want him in the main swingman role, and even if he did alright, that would be elevating Durbin or Gearrin, who outright failed to win a job in spring training, into Martinez’s current role (and it would most likely be Durbin). You could expect the overuse of O’Ventbrel to restart in earnest. For all these reasons, I really hope they don’t try it. It’s way better for the team if they keep Medlen in the swingman role.
I didn’t see Delgado’s last start. Just saw the linescore. Was it really that bad? I’d still stick with him for a little while and let him see if he can find a rhythm. He sure looked awful promising last year.
Here’s my guesstimation. Right now, barring a breakout, Delgado is pretty much the definition of replacement level. Medlen’s ceiling as long reliever is probably around 1 WAR — looking at previous seasons of similarly skilled players in the same role (i.e. Aceves). Livan and Durbin…yeesh. What marginal good Livan provides, Durbin cancels out.
The season Medlen swung between starting and relieving, he accumulated 1.5 WAR, and I think he could get past 2 if he were to start starting soon and stick in that role. Giving Martinez some more innings would get him to 0.5 WAR, but maybe you disagree. Livan and Durbin are probably still the same wash as before. And let’s say Gearrin is replacement level (although he was actually better last year in his short stint).
I know which option I’d choose. Or maybe Teheran will make this all a moot point before the season ends.
@5- is it fair to say Gearrin “outright lost the job in spring training?” He put up a 3.09 era, its not like he fell on his face.
I think the bullpen had Flande and Gearrin in it until Livan and Durbin were brought in.
6 — From what I saw he didn’t have good command of his secondary pitches.
Maybe put Medlen in Delgado’s rotation spot, move up Lisp in the pecking order, and have Delgado take the second long reliever spot?
10 — Delgado needs regular work.
Braves Live! is unwatchable.
At least the game is not on Peachtree TV.
Whew, needed that K.
@11: Agreed. I’m probably too quick to want to move Delgado somewhere else in the organization – I just think Medlen’s the best option for the #5 spot right now (and I want to see what he can do with a full season as a starter).
I really love these throwback unis.
Can we bat Martin 10th?
Aw c’mon Tyler.
If Pastornicky makes either play, they get out of this inning.
ESPN Gamecast graphics are pretty wonky. According to the display, Tabata fouled a ball off into the home team dugout. But no. It was a 2-run double to rightfield, apparently.
Dammit.
Tim is really struggling with his control. And he’s not fooling anyone either.
It tries my patience to have a group of infielders this bad behind a ground ball pitcher like Hudson.
Today might have been a Jack Wilson kind of day. But I really like the approach Pastornicky has taken at the plate lately. Oh well. Today’s a shake the rust off kind of day. If we can’t scratch a few runs off Kevin Correia — who has a career ERA of 4.55 despite spending almost his entire career with the Giants and Padres — we don’t deserve to win.
Okay, let’s make this pay off…
Gotta have a hit here.
Freddie reeeeeeeally needs a shinguard.
Dang.
Sparkling defense today.
Can’t blame Doug Eddings, really. He doesn’t want to get shown up here.
Braves suck, Pirates suck, he wants us all to know that he sucks too.
Eddings and Hudson not getting along today…
And I again need to refresh before posting.
Tyler making up for it with the bat!
Woohoo, Pastornicky!
He is starting to look like a hitter.
One of Caray’s more annoying features that no one seems to mention is his constant editorializing of what players are thinking or saying to one another.
“And Chipper points to Heyward as if to say: ‘good job on hitting that ball to the opposite field.'”
I don’t know what the stats say, but I’m far more optimistic with Pastornicky up there than I was with AGony last year.
What the hell is going on out there today?
Gotta get it in the air, at least..
“Take ball four, kid!”
Or walk. That works too.
If I were the Pirates, I would not have Correia pitching to Chipper.
Darn slow feed.
Ozzie Guillen wonders how Hurdle could have left his pitcher in to walk three.
Don’t sweat it, Piers. I actually said that before he took ball four. Trying to channel my inner-Bobby Cox.
Oh, Chipper. You can’t be taking that pitch.
If the Pirates didn’t suck, it would be so much more apparent that we also suck.
Guess we should be happy, but shoulda gotten one more at least.
For God’s sake. Left the bases loaded.
We are in the lead, going into the 6th, which usually means we win. That’s the Big Picture.
Durbin vs. Pirates’ offense.
Well, I didn’t expect that. Resume apocalyptic discussion.
The resistible force vs the movable object.
Chad Durbin, Pirate Poison.
That. Just. Happened.
It’s kind of funny to watch, but it almost looks like Durbin is flinching after every pitch he delivers.
I know I am.
You gotta love that durbin.
This is why the Braves should never have a defense-first SS as backup because Fredi is actually stupid enough to use him as a PH.
Jim Powell on the radio: “Chad Durbin worked a clean inning.”
It felt like there was a lot of disbelief in his voice.
You can call a guy with a 96mph fastball, Hot Rod, right?
Well his name was Johnny but his friends called him hotrod…
Looks like they located the real EOF.
That works.
Martin!
Prado!
Time to put this game on Easy Street.
Jailbreaking my phone and installing a location spoofer was a fantastic decision. I like being able to watch games again.
Meanwhile Derek Lowe has 7 2/3 three hit shoutout innings, earning his fourth win of the season while lowering his ERA to 2.27.
It disgusts me to see Derek Lowe not sucking.
And we are paying 10m of his salary too.
He sucked a hell of a lot more when we were paying $15 million of it. I’m not too broke up about it.
Watching with the sound off. What was that argument about?
Boo-yah.
McCann was arguing that the batter fouled the ball before it got away.
On the replay, it looked like the pitch actually hit the batter’s toe, but he swung at it, so it’s a strike either way. Run doesn’t matter, so… ballgame.
@70 McCann thought he fouled it off. Can’t blame him for being confused, as the ball changed direction when it hit the batters foot, then again after it went through McCann and hit the ump.
Braves win!
Call me crazy, but I think this Kimbrel kid is pretty good.
Recapped.